Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-17
SATURDAY, DECEMBER r, 1887.
IRIsH-AMERICANS IN REPUBLICAN,
 RANKS.

RANKS.
 We have received remonstrant letter, not intended for publication, from MT E. P. Rowe, of New York; a gentleman pro- fessedly an advanced Irish Nationalist, certainly one of culture and character. He was chairman of an organization called the Irish-American Republican Association during the Presidential campaign of 1884; he was a jealous worker in the Blaine in- terest. But little has been heard of him since then til now, for the Association apparently collapsed with the bursting of the balloon so inexpertly inflated for the Knight of Maine; but now MT Roe comes from his retirement challenging our edi torial, "Blaine's Bold Bid" in one of our issues of last weeek; and especially taking us to task, in courteous terms, for our as- sumption that the Association of Irish American Republicans was but an Associa- ton in memory, without any existing members, or strength or vitality to make it of force or effect. He asserts that it is "a palpable entity" and twill he heard of and from with distinctness in the cam paign of 1898." Well, be it so. The members, we suppose, on the old show mans idea "pays their money and takes their choice"
 We regret that our friend-for political divergence does not necessarily imply en- mity-has forbidden the publication of his letter in its entirety. We regret it because the writer's arguments defeat his state ments; we regret it, too, because we should like thus early to dispel the illusion or de- fusion that in Republicanism as a party, there is any sympathy for the Irish Cause; or would be any toleration-if it dared at this stage of the Nations progress to be intolerant-for men of Irish name, or birth or creed; we should like, too, in an- swer, though the duty would be unpleas- ant, to show how the Republican ideas found their complement in Know-N Nothing atrocities; how the right of labor and Ev- ing was denied to citizens guilty of the heinous crime of foreign, particularly Irish, descent, and how the sectarian hate of the Catholic creed was practically ex- emplifed in the wrecking of Catholic churches; and the burning of Catholic con- vents over the heads of the pious and self sacrificing ladies who had surrendered home, family and friends, all the allure ments of the world and all the attractions of domestic happiness, for the ''bette1 part" of ministering in Charity and Mercy to Gods poor.
 We do not like to call up these our Republican friends in their in dividuality responsible for these outrages; in the excitement of aggregated numbers, and influenced by partizan pre-, judices, crimes and indecencies will be at tempted from which the individual would shrink in horror. It is in view of possi bilities we write. The rumors of reviva of the old Nottingham under the name of an American Party gains force every day. We do not want in this, which should be free land, repetition of the old factional lawlessness; we do wish that as friends and neighbors, Democrats and Republicans should dwell together il Unity as citizens-and fight out their par ty fights at election times with all the zea and energy at their command-but we dc not desire to see the contest disfgured by crime; and certainly we do not want to SC, as result of Know-Nothing Republican intolerance a renewal of the bitter memo ries and burning sores of thirty years ago
 This is why we disagree with our friend Rowe; this, why we think that Republican ranks is no fitting place for Irishmen- this, the ground of our belief that tn. Irish American Republican Association il now but memory; and that, not pleasan one